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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. bark — to shout
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — for a lock
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. hand — help
  14. pass — a permit
  15. vault — a safe
  16. key — in music
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. hand — in cards
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. perch — the fish
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pit — a hole

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com